that something will succeed in doing in the course of human history most of what we have to equip the authorities so that they catch criminals as much as possible when it wasn't because it is i think we could do more to make sure that we have the kinds of laws that ensure criminals get the punishment they deserve it uses for infant. it sounds good in theory but as so often the reality is different in switzerland a trial began not against the bankers but against more your zite and his informant the accusation corporate espionage echoed zite had passed on his information to german authorities which significantly advanced the investigation. using i'd highly always schnitt. i were one part of an instance of financial market crime. i mean it's organized crime that wasn't clear before it's transnational you have to simply unsafe and hobby i recognise that an early stage and i also inform

the authorities in switzerland. when meant when you're accused and prosecuted for doing that it's a real full effect built this is still. echoed zite was ultimately handed a fine his informant was given 13 months probation after having spent 6 months in pretrial custody. thanks in part to zite investigations were finally under way in germany but a central question was still unanswered was comebacks illegal or not. he'd avoids the that's his tie in it just everybody knew that you couldn't have a refund not a tax that had never been paid a kind that as you steam everyone knew the system created money out of nothing at the expense of the treasury in the stocks causing or. i don't need any special legal expertise to know that that is simply not ok gate

and yet the perpetrators continue to help themselves from state coffers even though they already had plenty. of this is at some point it was no longer about the money at some point it was just about the thrill i get it because eventually there is enough money more than you can spend in a day a week a year or maybe a new whole lot to mention that it's the thrill that drives people to do very risky thing else including high stakes speculation so the idea of getting caught and what will happen if someone finds out that your cult. if comics was just a game for bankers and investors then that's a real slap in the face for the millions of ordinary citizens who conscientiously pay their taxes. in early summer 2017 all the bush and his journalist colleague christiane sun there

were in switzerland they'd tracked down mr come x. . hot on his heels the 2 journalists wanted to confront berger with the findings of their investigation. very eloquent and friendly man if you have a good time on the phone but then he answer with expertise and drowns even complexity. with technical essays and so on to make it clear that from his point of view the whole thing was legal and he's an innocent person being prosecuted in short. we haven't been able to speak to him personally except on the phone. isn't it a form of bug mr big guy just going to meet with you. mr

begala spare me your expert reports on them with. christiane zalewski had joined the at times bizarre comics reporting beat in 2016 together with other colleagues the left ski and continue to evaluate insider information and meet with whistleblowers they began to uncover new details that revealed the extent of comics. and among the mountains of files that aren't there all we had was a very early email from hannah meticulously sent out the legal situation in all european countries in exile spreadsheet on throwing the question where can we deploy this. very thorough aplon i think the question was was it hypothetical did they really carry out this plan in the title because it's. in fact unknown

comebacks perpetrators were beginning to act abroad once the practice was no longer legally possible in germany it's said to have continued in northern europe like here in denmark. the danes are still waiting for an explanation as to why the german government didn't warn them earlier at the time then danish tax minister albertson turned to berlin for assistance we have very good relations on different matters but when it comes to change especially when it comes to this comic scandal the level of cooperation has been very very low and i have a really i really honestly can't understand why the german government and the minister of finance didn't prioritize cooperation it would have been likely at that that the fraud and then would have been discovered earlier and could have been stopped earlier. by 2015 denmark is estimated to have suffered losses equivalent to

$1700000000.00 euro that means that in per capita terms the scandal may have hit denmark even harder than germany come next perpetrators were also attracted to other countries and the journalists now chased their story across european borders . and doesn't look at that we soon realized we needed cooperation among european journalists and i can't speak polish i can't speak spanish i don't know the ins and outs of tax law renaud the countries without france we were peons wouldn't offend. about the big countries most of the employment is that all what they are. in nov 28th the e.u. took notice of the tax scam partly thanks to all of us and his colleagues the journalists went before the european parliament to explain the extent of the problem. in these countries tax revenues are being raided right now. he cites germany by 2015 comics

trades were also happening in denmark and austria later similar models appeared to have been used in france italy spain norway finland poland and the czech republic. it was now a european scandal uncovered thanks to international cooperation among journalists even then the e.u. didn't initiate any investigations saying instead that the problem was to be solved primarily at the national level. but some members of the european parliament did want to hold each new institutions to account among them german green party m.e.p. spend gold that's the whole problem in the european parliament asked the european banking all 13 and the european securities and markets all thorazine to launch an investigation it took months because the national supervisors didn't want to.

according to google those at the national level like member states finance authorities delayed the investigation to prevent their own failures from coming to light it took pressure from the european parliament to put the investigations in motion there are still ongoing. citizens lose faith that the state is there for everyone that's very dangerous if people feel there are 2 kinds of justice one for the little people who have to abide by the law and who get severely punished if they're caught and another for the powerful who say this wasn't a crime at all it was just a trick i mean the the fire in one take. after years of draining state revenue the practice of comic share trades does seem to have dried up but there are always new breeding grounds for this type of practice. and consequently haven't learned the crucial lessons that we should have from the

comics a fair deal. as even after 2012 when actual comics traits were no longer technically possible similar things kept on happening for the symbiotes. this. after comebacks came come come then come fake they're similar models resourceful financial traders are always on the lookout for tax loopholes. you know the. experts estimate the europe wide damages from comics and its successor models to be $55000000000.00 euro the largest part of that was taken from german tax authorities almost $32000000000.00 euro. there are ideas for new safeguards to strengthen tax morris but so far they're just that i.d.s. . it's known for. one suggestion is to have

a european find. actual police force where investigative threads can come together instead of authority sporadically sharing bits of information here and there and i need someone to really gather information and take concerted action against white collar crime for again this is also the idea that tax advisors and financial advisors should have an obligation to report any legal loopholes they come across for it to be an offense not to report them less than oh it sounds somewhat trivial now but at least it would be a step in the right direction i. didn't get it if you don't. there's still no such obligation but the justice system has begun to deal with the issue. and bought. the 1st criminal trial in the so called come ex affair has begun and 2 british investment bank his have been charged.

in september $2900.00 suspected comebacks perpetrators stood trial for the 1st time the case was an opportunity to clarify whether comics was illegal and who would pay for the billions in damage as for farming luckovich sportingbet with the trial at the regional court in bonn only addresses one piece of the puzzle that sounds like a rift in a feeling this is going to occupy our courts for years to come fix it for until all the aspects of comics are covering the potatoes and always that some of the perpetrators are abroad if you like from some of the money may be long gone before spam burned through there's no way we'll get everything back the lists or. had to wait 6 months for a verdict to be handed down in that trial the fact that the 1st suspected perpetrators landed in court at home was due to the journalists were uncovered the dubious dividend deals despite being shadowed and even becoming a target of the authorities himself ultimately the investigation against was

dropped. the end of the story for him for now at least still his comics and the egg seems like a financial crime novel as the only but it is reality not fictional so i couldn't have imagined what would happen what we don't cover but realities like that or as is this is one of the biggest tax frauds in european history. and what of come ex-pats to mind burger after mom deliberation the vase budden regional court approved an indictment against him the tax lawyer still claims he did nothing illegal. in a liberal constitutional state everything is allowed unless it's forbidden. whether come x. was legal is now a matter for the courts the other remaining question is who will repay the billions

lost. money will always flow into the hands of the greedy the comics case is the perfect example and no countries justice system has so far been able to completely stop such wheeling and dealing. collected by children in india. and used on mass by cosmetics companies. mine is a long material that's mining it highly risky conditions. combining business with conscience it's a balancing act for the manufacturing industry. global 3000.

and 30 minutes on d w. i am it's their obsession for spectacular pictures. it's their passion for nature. it's their complete devotion. that makes them the best one online for tucker 1st in the world . this amazing. classic. confrontational. and stirring. 5 adventures. one goal. the preservation of our planet. is not a sinister pardon treason savings plan is a. sauce that's dangerous surat it's run.

starts november 6th on t.w. . this is d w news live from berlin germany faces more restrictions to contain the coronavirus shouts of macros expected to push for a limited law down in crisis talks with regional leaders today daily cases of covert 19 are now expected to hit 20000 by the end of this week also on the show a growing backlash in the islamic world against fraps muslim countries boycotting

french products after president mccrone defends free speech and the right to mosque .